Fitness Tips-The healthiest foods in the world

How often do you stop and take a second to consider what you are eating on a daily basis? If you’re anything like me you are routine about what you eat.

I do my best to find a balance between what tastes good and what I know is good for me. The big question is—is food worth obsessing about?

In most cases I would say no. Obsession is rarely a desirable trait when you are aiming for a balanced approach toward leading a healthy lifestyle. Depending upon your goals, certain aspects of food should be considered.

For example, if you are trying to lose weight, variables such as the number of calories, amount of protein grams, and the serving size of said food should be your focus. On the other hand, if you are more concerned with maintaining your weight and improving your energy level, you may get by well enough focusing more upon the quality of the food that you are eating over the quantity (i.e. calories/grams of protein). The human body does a fine job of maintaining your weight through cravings and feelings of satiety (fullness).

Regardless of your goal the healthiest foods in the world are:

Lean sources of protein—Proteins are a key nutrient because they provide your body with the raw material that it needs to build and repair itself. Cage-free eggs (yolks are great), grass-fed beef, humanely-raised chicken, wild-caught fish, and free-ranged pork and lamb are all terrific examples of healthy proteins. While it is possible to lead a perfectly healthy lifestyle on a plant-based diet you would be hard-pressed to find a better source of protein than animal protein.

Natural sources of carbohydrate—Carbohydrates are terrific sources of energy. Look for dark leafy greens, root veggies, garden vegetables, fruits, and slow-to-cook grains when zeroing in on your carbohydrate choices. Remember that cutting out carbohydrates is a bad idea since your brain is 100 percent fueled by them. I recommend sticking with the lower calorie-options such as vegetables is you are particularly calorie conscious.

Animal and plant fats—Fats, like carbohydrates, are rich sources of energy, but they are also involved in protecting the body. Obvious sources of fat are vegetable oils, butter, and meat, but many overlook nut butters, avocados, and salmon as a few of the best sources of dietary fat. Fats help us in a myriad of different ways, but my favorites are that it helps us metabolize the vitamins in the food that we eat and also helps us in the production of hormones. Whatever you do, do not eliminate fat from your diet. In fact, recent studies have linked low-fat diets to weight gain.

So what are the healthiest foods in the world? Simple foods that provide you with the protein, carbohydrates, and fat that you need on a daily basis are the foundation of a healthy diet. Whether your goal is to lose weight or to simply have more energy and feel great eating a simple, balanced diet is the path to success.

Coach Chris McHugh is the fitness coach and manager at Get In Shape For Women in Westwood. Please send questions, suggestions, or topic ideas to ChrismcHugh@getinshapeforwomen.com.